Socketed Processor, Ram, Graphics and NAND Chip?


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Are the processor, RAM, NAND, or graphics chip socketed (not soldered) chips? If so, I could conceivably upgrade each of them individually over time, assuming the new pieces fit in the standard sockets. Imagine a customized Pandora with an OMAP 47 processor, and 1.3 TB RAM, or other silly specs that should be possible in a decade or two...
 
There are two chips here - the OMAP3530 and a RAM/NAND MCM. They're both BGA and the latter is soldered on top of the former. Having even one socketed chip, much less two, would take a lot more space - especially height. It'd also add a lot of additional cost and complicate the production and assembly effort, because you'd have to solder on both sockets and the pins to convert the BGA to a PGA-like package. That's assuming you could even get socketable pins that fine and dense.. it'd probably be difficult to safely insert and remove it.


Instead of upgrading in a decade or two you'd probably be better off dropping the rather nominal new purchase fee again. Even computer upgrades can't span anywhere near a decade for core components.
 
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Are the processor, RAM, NAND, or graphics chip socketed (not soldered) chips? If so, I could conceivably upgrade each of them individually over time, assuming the new pieces fit in the standard sockets. Imagine a customized Pandora with an OMAP 47 processor, and 1.3 TB RAM, or other silly specs that should be possible in a decade or two...

Sockets would have taken up massive amount of space, and we would end up with a device that's not a handheld anymore…


And, moreover, I think that the actual specs of the device are far enough right now for the usage most of us want to make of the Pandora.


We still can't use all it's full power and the devs were already able to make (sometimes dirty) ports that just works fine.


So let's wait a few years before thinking about upgrades or Pandora 2, ok?
wink.gif
 
Not to mention the OMAP4 isn't pin compatible with the OMAP3 (and even some OMAP3s aren't pin compatible with other OMAP3s, I think :p ) to say nothing of how many pins an OMAP47 might have on it :p


To explain further why your dream is folly, the OMAP is a System On Chip (SoC) which basically means it is a single chip with everything on it: processor, ram, "hard drive", video, audio, USB, "keyboard", serial ports, TV out, everything! By putting everything on a single chip, it makes it small, it makes it cheap, it makes it require less energy.


Technically the RAM and NAND are Package on Package (PoP), which means they're soldered to the CPU right at the end, and a lot of discussion went on about possibly removing them and upgrading. It was considered possible, but you have a very high risk of breaking something in the process, so not recommended, not to mention finding compatible RAM and NAND would not be easy.


The OMAP SoC basically makes up almost half the cost of the Pandora. The LCD screen takes up almost another half of the cost. The remainder, the fraction that is left, accounts for case and assembly, really not a lot in comparison.


To put it into perspective, imagine you're designing a computer. There's a CPU/MoBo combo you can buy for $200, but the CPU is soldered to the motherboard. The individual CPU and motherboard can be purchased in socketable form, with $175 for the CPU and $75 for the motherboard, however. Knowing that the company does the same thing for each iteration, selling a combo board and separate socketable parts, which is the correct choice? Get the socketable one so you can upgrade with every new CPU that comes out (until they do a major update and you have to buy a new motherboard too) or save some money and do the soldered package and upgrade the entire thing when it comes time?


Just looking at the money, you'd have to upgrade the CPU twice on the same motherboard to make it cost equivalent, 3 times to make it cost efficient. Maybe you have no problem updating your CPU three times (even if it doesn't really need it) but suppose you're not just designing this computer for yourself, but for 20'000 people across the internet of varying degrees of experience and interest.


OPT did some surveys and decided that SoC and PoP was the way to go, with full board upgrades when and if it became viable to do so, rather than adding cost and complexity (not to mention choosing an inferior CPU in order to achieve it) for the very small minority that had not only the interest but the technical experience and connections to swap more minor components along the way. That's why the Pandora is not socketable and why it probably never will be.
 
Imagine a customized Pandora with an OMAP 47 processor, and 1.3 TB RAM
That doesn't even work with desktops.


See PATA / SATA / SATA 3.0 Gbps


And SDRAM / DDR / DDR2 / DDR3


Also CPU sockets usually have a handful of usable CPUS, all in a single generation. It would not be a useful upgrade, and you'd be very lucky if anything in 5 years was compatible with any of the sockets.


It wouldn't be worth the cost and the extra case volume used.


And stop making up specs like that. It bothers me, almost as much as people saying "fail", but not quite as much as people posting these things immediately after just to annoy me like it's some kind of joke. Fuck those guys.


And 1.3 isn't even a power of two.
 
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it makes more sense for desktops because you want to be able to choose MB/CPU/RAM/VIDc combination depending on the sort of machine you are building - not just for upgrades. If a motherboard with 4GB of decent DDR3 soldered on was available, it might just now make sense with the RAM becoming cheaper (and it getting easier to have enough RAM on a desktop).


I know every time I upgrade a family PC, the RAM, CPU socket and graphics interface all change, so none of the old parts are any use. At least my first HDD (120MB) can still be used.
 
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